Abstract

Building a Sustainable Research Future: Strategic Support and AI-Driven Proposal Strategy

Funded projects that pop up unexpectedly just before a grant deadline are particularly frustrating for RMA’s because they weren’t involved in the pre-award process, such as finalizing the budget or checking potential risks and research data management plans. This can lead to inefficiency and wasted resources and above all frustrate the researcher! Randomly applying for EU funding and hoping for something to stick is not only inefficient but highly unsustainable. By ensuring that RMA is involved at the earliest stage of the application process, namely identification of the most feasible call, we create not only peace of mind for researchers and support office, we take a far more sustainable and strategic approach to securing funding.

To address and eliminate this ‘popping up of proposals’ we developed the Pre-Award Road Map for researchers. It consists of five steps: Alignment, Feasibility, GO!, Support, and Submitting. In each step, we provide essential support in project management, legal matters, mandate regulations and finance and ethics, ensuring that projects are well-managed and therefore more feasible from the start.

For researchers, this means that good practices we identify in the pre-award phase are embedded into the process and serve as examples for other proposals. For management, strategic project monitoring starts even before the writing begins, which enables timely adjustments minimizing financial and operational risks fostering long-term sustainability of the research department.
Alignment and optimization of the pre-award process has now led us to creating room for another “pre” step in the proposal process: integrating AI into our EU proposal strategy. Using AI to predict the most promising funding opportunities allows us to focus resources on projects with the highest chances of success, contributing to a more efficient use of resources. This extra focus in the process ensures that Research Support can act swiftly, connecting researchers to relevant calls and promoting a more targeted approach to research funding.

Learning outcomes:
- Importance of early RMA involvement in the pre-award process by adopting a Research Road Map: Engaging RMA early on in the proposal process ensures better alignment of resources, minimizes risks, and promotes a more strategic, sustainable approach to securing funding.
- AI integration in funding strategy: Using AI to predict and identify the most promising funding opportunities allows for a more strategic and efficient use of resources, enhancing the long-term success of securing research grants.